What we're listening to: Van 'Tupelo Honey'

Van's 5th Album from 1971 when he was living with wife Janet Planet Rigsbee  (and that's her on the cover and Rigs"bee" is the honey link). She's also doing backing vocals.

It created one of the best love songs in history in the title track - "You can take, all the tea in china...an angel of the first degree...." which sits with 'Crazy Love' from Moondance.

It's very Van and full of love (we've been listening all week!) - 'You're my woman' a standout track, 'Tupelo Honey' is superb and 'Old Old Woodstock' where he wrote the Album. They shortly moved from New York to California where he made the record and you get that rural feel from the cover shot. 

It's a bit country like on 'Moonshine Whiskey' where Van had worked with The Band and you get a sense of their influence too. 

It's a beautiful record but that said, Van wasn't happy with it. It came at a strange time in his life with the move out West and probably, with a new Band, wasn't great for him. A time when he didn't want to play live and was famously, cancelling gigs. 

But he's wrong, it's great and ever there was an Album for one track alone, it's this. (For Sarah) 

Previous "listen tos" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......Earth Wind Fire: The Japanese House 'Good at Falling': Dire Straits 'Debut': David Gray 'White Ladder': Kacy Musgraves 'Golden Hour': Finley Quaye 'Maverick a strike': Doobies 'Taking it to the Streets': T Bone Burnett 'The criminal under my hat': Steely Dan 'Gaucho': Kacey Musgraves 'Same Trailer Different Park': Phil Spector 'Christmas Gift': The 1975 'A Brief Inquiry' (Our Album of the year 2018): Wings 'Over America': Sheryl Crow 'Tuesday Night Music Club': Dwight Yoakam 'Gone': Deep Purple 'In Rock': Police 'Reggatta de Blanc': Dylan 'Freewheelin': Stevie Winwood 'Arc of a Diver': Jamiroquai 'travelling without Moving': Eels 'Meet The Eels': Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly': Bowie 'Ziggy Stardust': Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook: REM 'Automatic for the People' :Coldplay 'Parachutes': Springsteen 'Hammersmith 75': Barry White 'Can't get enough': The Band 'Before the Flood': Dimitri from Paris 'Le Chic': Santana 'Abraxas': Suzanne Vega 'Debut': Michael Jackson 'Bad': John Hiatt 'Bring the Family/Budokan': JJ Cale 'Naturally': Ray Lamontagne 'Trouble': The Bluetones 'Expecting to Fly': Norah Jones 'Come Away with me': Macy Gray 'On how life is': John Cougar 'American Fool': Earth Wind & Fire 'Greatest': Boz Scaggs 'Silk Degrees': Durand Jones + The Indications: Elton John 'Captain Fantastic': Nirvana 'Nevermind': James Brown 'At The Apollo' 1962: Grateful Dead 'American Beauty': Frampton 'Comes Alive': Snow Patrol 'Final Straw': The Jayhawks 'Hollywood Town Hall': Alanis Morissette 'Jagged Little Pill': Chris Stapleton 'Traveller': Shelby Lynne 'I Am': Lauryn Hill 'Miseducation': Alicia Keys 'Songs in A Minor': Beatles 'Revolver': The Allergies 'Push On' (Our Album of 2017): Sinatra 'Jolly Christmas': Stranglers 'Rattus Norvegicus': Happy Mondays 'Pills Thrills and Bellyaches': The Verve 'Urban Hymns': Jim Croce 'You don't mess around with Jim': America 'America': Hall & Oates 'The Singles': George Michael 'Older': Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers': Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue': Mink Willy De Ville 'Backstreets of Desire': Ten Years After 'Undead': The Beat 'Just can't stop it': George Thorogood/The Destoyers '2120 Michigan Avenue': Tom Waits 'Franks Wild Years'; Glen Campbell 'Rhinestone Cowboy': Rory Gallagher 'Live in Europe': Michael Jackson 'Thriller': Daft Punk 'Discovery': DJ Dimitri 'Disco Forever': John Martyn 'Grace & Danger': Peter Gabriel 'So': Crowded House 'Woodface': Springsteen 'Born to Run': ACDC 'Back in Black': Grace Jones 'Nighclubbing': Stevie Wonder 'Songs in the key of life': The Cars 'The Cars': Billy Joel '52nd Street': Beatles 'Sgt Pepper': Tom Petty 'Damn the Torpedoes': World Party 'Bang': Eric Clapton 'Slowhand': John Mayer 'Room for Squares': Ry Cooder 'Bop til you drop': Jon&Vangelis 'Friends of Mr. Cairo': Mary Chapin 'Come on, Come on': Frank Zappa 'Joe's Garage': Joni Mitchell 'Blue': Steve Gibbons 'Caught in the Act': Elton John 'Tumbleweed Connection': Elton John 'Honky Chateau': Gallagher & Lyle 'Breakaway': Warren Zevon 'Excitable Boy': Donald Fagen 'The Nightfly': Supertramp 'Breakfast in America': George Michael 'Listen without Predujice': Radiohead 'The Bends': Beyonce 'Lemonade' Album of the year 2016: Oddisee 'The mix Tape': Soul 11 Soul 'Club Classics': Jennifer Warnes 'Famous Blue Raincoat':Art Garfunkel 'Watermark': REM 'Out of Time': Van 'Keep me Singing': Frank Sinatra 'Songs for Swinging Lovers': Al Stewart 'Year of the Cat': Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Texas Flood':Frank Ocean 'Blond': Jimmy Buffett 'Son of a Sailor': Marc Cohn 'Marc Cohn': Bill Withers 'Complete Sussex and Columbia': Hendrix 'Electric Ladyland': ABC 'Lexicon of Love': Rickie Lee Jones 'Rickie Lee Jones': Billy Joel "Glass Houses": Rodriguez "Cold Fact": Prefab Sprout 'Steve McQueen'; Chet Baker 'Live 64-79'; The Stone Roses 'Stone Roses'; Joe Jackson 'I'm the Man'; Oasis 'Morning Glory'; Bob Dylan 'At The Budokan'; Van "It's too late to stop now Volume 2/3/4"; Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black'; Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill.

What we're listening to. Van 'Keep me singing'.

No you'll know we love Ivan Morrison. We grew up on his music, he lives/lived near our offices so we'd see him out and about as well as his son/daughter go to the same school as Sarah in Streamabout.

But we're Van traditionalists and so the later 'No Plan B' type Albums we took them for what they were. Perfectly good but not classics.

So you always want a return to form. And here, Ladies and Gentlemen, is it.

2016 'Keep me singing' is as good as it gets. Very much fits in with the 'Wavelength' or 'No Guru' series but there's a lot of beautiful work in here. Despite that is, a dreadful Album title, awful cover design and picking the least strong track as the single. Who does that?

It's his 36th Album and chilled. But astonishingly we see John Platania on the credits so that gives you a sense of the roots of this. 

It's perfect really but you have to be a Van fan to get it. And if you're not, it's not a bad place to start. Great record from the Healer. Just add it and don't hesitate. It's nice to have him back at 71. 

Of course you can then go back to earlier this year and the new volumes of 'It's too late to stop now'. That's possibly his best, ever.

Previous "listen to's" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......Frank Sinatra 'Songs for Swinging Lovers': Al Stewart 'Year of the Cat': Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Texas Flood':Frank Ocean 'Blond': Jimmy Buffett 'Son of a Sailor': Marc Cohn 'Marc Cohn': Bill Withers 'Complete Sussex and Columbia': Hendrix 'Electric Ladyland': ABC 'Lexicon of Love': Rickie Lee Jones 'Rickie Lee Jones': Billy Joel "Glass Houses": Rodriguez "Cold Fact": Prefab Sprout 'Steve McQueen'; Chet Baker 'Live 64-79'; The Stone Roses 'Stone Roses'; Joe Jackson 'I'm the Man'; Oasis 'Morning Glory'; Bob Dylan 'At The Budokan'; Van "It's too late to stop now Volume 2/3/4"; Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black';Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill'. 

What we're listening to. George Ivan Morrison. The New Volume 2 'It's too late to stop now'. Magnificent.

Just stop whatever you're doing right now and put this new Album on.
You simply won't find anything better for a long, long time.

It's actually brand new (June 10) but the original 1973 Album (Volume 1), we blogged about in October 2015 because Ivan hit 70. 

This is a new release to follow that infamous original, which he recorded aged 29, with more unreleased material.

What made the original famous of course, was that it was the first live Album recorded live 'as it was', without the usual overdubs and superb it was too. 

Considered an absolute classic.....But this is probably better, if that was ever even possible. 

The whole breadth of this Album is so much more and so too the digital quality as a 24 bit remastered high resolution, which feels intimate rather than over-produced. Just like you're wonderfully there. 

Called 'Volume 2/3/4' it's more of the 1973 concerts recording over 8 nights (The Rainbow, The Troubadour and The Auditorium, which each volume reflects songs from each gig) but completely unreleased music. 

And what a glory it is. 

We don't think you'll hear Van in better form or a Band (The 11 piece, Caledonia Soul Orchestra) more tight and trust us, we know everything he's ever done.

It opens with 'Come Running' from the 1970 Moondance as a jaunty version and there's a cracking version of 'Brown Eyed Girl' (which we were getting tired of hearing, but not anymore). 

'Snow in San Anselmo' too, from the 'Hard Nose the Highway' Album, which hadn't yet been released at the time, as well as the Joey Raposo standard 'It's Not easy bein green'. 

Possibly one of the best ever, but little known Van tracks is here too - 'Purple Heather' (Will you go, Lassie go) - is just superb. 

'Moondance', 'Caravan', 'Domino', 'Cyprus Avenue' (from Astral Weeks where the line "it's too late to stop now" comes from), 'Gloria', 'Aint nothing you can do', 'Into the Mystic', 'Here comes the Night', and just listen to the drumming on 'Wild Children'. 'Wild Children' shows the string arrangements beautifully too. 

We could go on.

Jeff Labes on piano, David Hayes on Bass, Brother Jack Schroer on Sax, John Platania on Guitar, Bill Atwood on trumpet, Nancy Ellis on Viola....extraordinary. In fact, only on this Album can you hear for the first time really, the excellent influence of David Shaw's drums and the imagination of him working with David Hayes on Bass. 

If you can get the Bass player and drummer working together, you get something special and here they do.

You can actually see their close playing on the accompanying DVD, also highly recommended and if nothing else, to see George Ivan Morrison at the height of his powers as the Band leader. Talk about managing the sound!

And to see him kicking out his feet for 'Gloria'. And to see the Right hand conducting the Band, as he was so notorious for doing. And to see him lose himself in the music.

Only thing that's missing here is 'Madame George' also recorded as 'Madame Joy', with probably the best lyric ever written in a song..... "Sitting in a corner playing dominos in drag"....still everything is magnificent. 

As someone in Streamabout said, if you could give this Album 15 stars, you would. 

There isn't and there won't be, a better record to get this year. And most likely, a better record for decades to come. Unbelievably wonderful.

And here's 'Caravan' below for the Band intro alone. No one does it better. 

We never agreed that 'Astral Weeks' was his best Album anyway, but now there's no argument anymore. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is it. 

Previous "listen to's" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black';Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill'.

What we're listening to. Oldfield's Tubular Bells.

There's a super documentary going about, showing the making of Tubular Bells in 1973. Well worth a watch and you'll see it an the end of this (BBC).

A shy 19 year old, Mike Oldfield, created and played (pretty much) the whole Album (which has no vocals except Viv Stanshall announcing the instruments) around basically, one tune. 

The instruments were layered over an 16 track (!) in a place called 'The Manor' which Richard Branson used as a "hot bed" for musicians. John Cale, The Stranglers recorded there and indeed, Van's 'Wavelength' but it has been closed since and now a country home. 

The Fender Telecaster using by Oldfield, had belonged to Marc Bolan and in fact, the Tubular Bells he used, had been left over from a John Cale recording session. Betcha' didn't know that! 

Of course too, what made the Album infamous, was that it was the first big break by Richard Branson's new Virgin Records (catalogues as V2001) although the documentary makes clear, our Richard wasn't exactly a big music head, just a businessman. 

It was infamous too, that snippets (the piano solo) of the Album were used in The Exorcist Movie.

Oldfield performed it at the UK 2012 Opening ceremony for The Olympics but he was never a big live performer even when the Album came out. Now 62, he still comes across both as a nice bloke and hugely talented. The "Fame thing" got to him and he never really duplicated the success but then, how could you. 

The Album nearly went into obscurity. It was released for a year and becoming forgotten before Sales started to take off and sell it did. Massively. 

Really nice addition to any record collection and great music in an Office, or anywhere. That's not to denigrate it one jot - it is a gem. 

Streamabout people loved it anyway....the opening just sends you off.

And here's the doc. If you've time, you'll enjoy it....

What we're listening to. Ivan Morrison "It's too late to stop now".

There's some irony in here around Ivan Morrison. 

Firstly, one of our Streamabout crew is a lifelong fan; Secondly another of the crew's daughter is in the same school class as Van's son; Thirdly he lives near Streamabout's offices (5 minutes away) so we see him out and about and lastly he's just turned 70.

Add to that, the whole Van collection just went up this week on Imusic.

We mentioned 'Moondance' in our blog before, but thought we'd put on another gem, a classic - "It's too late to stop now".

A live double album from 1974 (so Van was only 29, extraordinary in itself). 

Uniquely too, it was the first live album not to have over-dubs which means it's an exact copy of the live show with nothing added afterwards. Hence a recording of 'Moondance' was not included because it just wasn't perfect live. 

Recorded at LA's 'Troubadour' and London's 'Rainbow', you can hear Van as the band leader which he always was, conducting everything. But this is probably his tightest, best band ever - Jef Labes on Piano, "Brother" Jack Schroer on Sax, John Platania on Guitar, David Hayes on Bass - backed by a superb string section (Nancy Olson/Ellis on Viola) and a class horn section.

'Into the mystic' of course is here from Moondance as is a superb version of 'Caravan'. (In fact, if you want to hear the band and Van at his incredible best, listen to 'Caravan'. You can hear him direct the sound - "turn it up!")

'Wild children' tells you his age ("We were the wild children, born 1945, when all the soldiers can marching home from war..."), 'Gloria' (as in Patti Smith), 'Cyprus Avenue' (A Belfast street), and a lovely 'St. Dominic's Preview'. But it's all magical. Mystical. 

It came after 'Moondance', 'Hard nose the highway', 'Tupelo Honey', 'Astral Weeks' (aged 23 btw) and so on - so it's right in that really creative Van time.

You won't do better than this. You just won't. It's one of the all time great live Albums at the very, very least. 

And here's the real deal.....

What we're listening to this week. Ivan Morrison, Moondance. It's a marvellous night.

We had heard that Van Morrison had a new duets album featuring Michael Buble doing 'Real real gone' and all that did, was to remind us to play something else by Van.

(Apart from anything else, he lives up the road from Streamabout's offices and some of us have met him in local schools and in the park. Honest.)

So we stuck on 'Moondance', the all-time classic that it is. Wonderful record. Just get it.

People talk about 'Astral Weeks' which although features the eternal magical line, "sitting in a corner playing dominoes in drag", it doesn't touch 'Moondance'.

In 1970 it was his 3rd album after Astral weeks (1968) and his ridiculous debut 'Blowin your mind' (which we all believe is almost a bootleg and released without Van's say-so). The Moondance cover is to show that the music comes out of his head - almost jazz improv and something else you didn't know....his real name is Ivan, hence Van for short.

The album featured stars of the time like Jef Labes, Jack Shroer on sax and notably, long standing band member John Platania. It followed too, a long stint with Van and The Band so you can hear those influences.

"Into the Mystic", "Caravan", "Cyprus Avenue" (where he lived) is here, "Moondance" itself but the winner is "Crazy Love". You can hear it below live from The Filmore 1970. It's the great Office Album and will start you on a road of Van worship.

(And if you like that, just get "It's too late to stop now". THE classic live album.)